Heisman race reaches final week

Updated 6:42 pm, Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Texas A&M quarterback accounted for five touchdowns in a 59-29 win over Missouri despite getting hurt early in the game and coming back with a knee brace on. Scott Halleran / Getty Images

Texas A&M quarterback accounted for five touchdowns in a 59-29 win over Missouri despite getting hurt early in the game and coming back with a knee brace on. Scott Halleran / Getty Images

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Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein was off this weekend. Kansas State fell out of the No. 1 spot after losing to Baylor a week ago. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein was off this weekend. Kansas State fell out of the No. 1 spot after losing to Baylor a week ago. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Photo: LM Otero, Associated Press

Heisman race reaches final week

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The Heisman Trophy favorite can change on a whim from week to week. How else to explain how one bad game takes one-loss Kansas State's Collin Klein from favored status?

He was the only one on the top four on HeismanPundit.com to be off this week. Here's where those four stand after Saturday's games, plus one dark horse who could sneak an invite to New York for the award.

QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M

Stat line: Passed for 372 yards and three TDs, ran for 67 yards and two TDs in 59-29 win over Missouri. Now has completed 273 of 400 passes (68.3 percent) for 3,419 passing yards, 24 TDs and eight interceptions, and has rushed for 1,181 yards and 19 TDs.

Notable: Ranked No. 2 in total offense before Saturday, the freshman did little to fall from his slot as the favorite. But now that his regular season is over, there's a chance someone posting a big game could sway voters next Saturday.

LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame

Stat line: Made five tackles and an interception in 22-13 win over Southern Cal. Now has 104 tackles, seven interceptions, one fumble recovery, 5 1/2 tackles for loss.

Notable: He's the best player on the only 12-0 team eligible to win the BSC championship, but voters seem to shy away from defensive players as much as freshmen.

QB Collin Klein, Kansas State

Stat line: Off this week; completed 172 of 258 passes (66.7 percent) for 2,306 yards with 14 TDs and six interceptions, rushed for 787 yards and 20 TDs on 171 carries.

Notable: His passing and rushing numbers fall short of Manziel's, and after the loss to Baylor he no longer bears the tag "Best Player on the Nation's Best Team."

QB Braxton Miller, Ohio State

Stat line: Passed for 189 yards and a TD, ran for 57 yards on 20 carries in a 26-21 win over Michigan to complete a 12-0 season. He rushed for 1,271 yards and 13 TDs on 227 carries; completed 148 of 254 (58.3 percent) for 2,039 yards, 15 TDs, six INTs.

Notable: If his team was eligible for the Big Ten and BCS titles, voters would be falling over themselves to make Miller, a sophomore, the Heisman winner.

RB Johnathan Franklin, UCLA

Stat line: 21 carries for 65 yards and one TD in 35-17 loss to Stanford. Now has 1,506 yards and 11 TDs on 249 carries.

Notable: Nation's fifth-leading rusher coming into Saturday, he missed a golden opportunity to steal some of Manziel's favorite status. He'll need a huge effort in the Pac-12 title rematch with the Cardinal to find support from voters looking for anyone to vote for besides a freshman.